


of tales and dreams

by MonsterXI



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arabian Nights Fusion, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bottom Kageyama Tobio, Inspired by One Thousand and One Nights, Inspired by Richard Siken, M/M, Not Beta Read, Oikage Day, Self-Doubt, Slow Romance, Top Oikawa Tooru, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:16:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28643550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonsterXI/pseuds/MonsterXI
Summary: Night after night was filled with curiosity from the Sultan; of eyes glancing each other between every sentence spoken, of once a silent room, now filled with a soft voice telling legends from worlds apart, of an empty bed filled with two bodies sheltering them from the cold.
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 4
Kudos: 113





	of tales and dreams

Today was supposed to be a joyous day. A marriage between the great Sultan and his vizier’s son. Such a blessed celebration and yet, everyone held their breath in fear, whispers around town moved in droves from house to house; some words were different from others but they talked about the same thing.

_The bride wouldn’t survive until dawn._

* * *

The Sultan was the pride and joy of their land. People depicted him as someone who was charming and humble, someone who cared for the people and was loved in return.

People couldn’t blame him when his trust and loyalty was crushed by his lover. How from that day, there was never a talk for love or a say of _her_ name for she was gone somewhere that the common people wouldn’t dare to think about.

But it never stopped him or the countless brides that had resided inside the Sultan’s bedroom, only to never return the next morning.

* * *

Tobio heard the cries of his mother’s and siblings’ when they departed to the Palace, cursing and blaming their father for his stupid loyalty and pride, but they never knew it was him who begged to be united with the noblest man in this empire.

_Because how could he bear letting his dear sister go to her certain doom?_

* * *

_Tell me about the dream where we pull the bodies out of the lake_

_and dress them in warm clothes again._

_How it was late, and no one could sleep, the horses running_

_until they forget that they are horses._

* * *

The ceremony was simply ended as his father handed him to the hands of the palace maids to prepare him for the wedding night.

Tobio sat on the soft bed, dressed and crafted to the Sultan’s liking for his final night. He could hear the maids praying an empty plead for his safety outside his door before everything went silent as the night.

_The Sultan is here._

Tobio didn’t dare to look up as the sound of footsteps grew closer to his ears. When it finally stopped, he held his breath tight to his chest.

Tobio couldn’t describe how he felt when he first saw him; brown curly locks that looked like golden strings under the dim light, two eyes with the same colour, looking at him with such intensity and disgust and yet, Tobio couldn’t help but to hold his gaze.

Some parts of him was doubting for he was afraid his plan might not work, but he dared himself for one simple request.

“Your majesty. Can I ask for one thing?”

The man granted him a wish. _One last wish_. To say a farewell to his little brother.

The Sultan called upon a maid to summon his brother who was still in the banquet and minutes away, the younger one came.

“Tobio!” The teen ran and hugged him before cowering down beside the bed.

“Tobio, tell me one of your stories! I sleep well when you told those tales,” Tobio smiled and glanced at the Sultan, asking for permission.

The Sultan nodded as he also couldn’t sleep right now, so may he used the tales to pass the time.

Tobio with all of his breaths and fears, weaved the Sultan and his brother a tale from faraway land.

Of a rich merchant travelling under the vexing sun, who then decided to take a rest and eat dates under a tree. Suddenly, an _Ifrit_ came and told him that he would kill the merchant for one of the date pits killed his son. The merchant asked and was granted a year to get his house in order.

While waiting for his end, the merchant met three _shaykh_ who offered to tell their tales to _Ifrit_ for a third of the merchant’s blood as an exchange. The merchant accepted, so the other three tales were weaved to please the _Ifrit._

Only when the sun peeked behind the vast land of their beloved home that the story stopped, still unfinished; promises of another night to survive.

* * *

_It's not like a tree where the roots have to end somewhere,_

_it's more like a song on a policeman's radio,_

_how we rolled up the carpet so we could dance, and the days_

_were bright red, and every time we kissed there was another apple_

_to slice into pieces._

* * *

It was the next night in Sultan’s bedroom. Tobio continued the second _shaykh_ ’s story, but once again it finished at dawn before he could start the third one. So, the Sultan spared him yet another night to continue his tales.

The next night, it was finally the last story. The third _shaykh_ weaved a wonderful and fulfilling piece, granting the merchant his life from the _Jinn_. They thanked each other at the end and went back to their own countries.

“Your majesty. These tales are no more than wonderful as the tale of fisherman,” Tobio stated at the end of his line, daring to glance at the Sultan’s face.

Just like everything that fell into places, the Sultan asked about the fisherman tale.

It been like such since then. Tobio told him tales of a man sailing beyond the sea; conquering creatures that only come from books, of a magical cave filled with treasures and greedy thieves, of a young lovers’ misunderstanding and rejection that ended with their inevitable union.

Tooru always spared him every night with the promise of the tales. When the dawn comes, Tooru would look at him quietly and finally, departed for the Council.

Night after night was filled with curiosity from the Sultan; of eyes glancing each other between every sentence spoken, of once a silent room, now filled with a soft voice telling legends from worlds apart, of an empty bed filled with two bodies sheltering them from the cold.

* * *

_Look at the light through the windowpane. That means it's noon, that means_

_we're inconsolable._

_Tell me how all this, and love too, will ruin us._

* * *

Tobio felt like he was sucked into oblivion, left tired and despaired at Tooru’s mercy. It scared him that the image tugged his heart to surrender, to die a sweeter death at the hands of Tooru and forget everything as he was counting the days left of them.

As like any other nights. They laid on the bed as some of the cold winds brushed against their skin; tightening the hold against each other, low voice lulled them to wild adventures somewhere out there, running inside their minds.

The younger man recited a few lines before it stopped, splitting the air into a still silence. The Sultan waited for the next line, for another enticing stories than the previous one, but it never came.

“What’s wrong, Tobio?” Tooru asked while gently titling the other’s face so he could look at him better.

“That’s the end. The last story,” Tobio said, swallowing a bitter bile in his mouth as he detached himself from the warmth.

“Is that so?” Tooru stated calmly as the silence continued.

“Are you going to kill me, Sultan?” The younger male asked despite knowing that he couldn’t bear to hear the answer.

Another silence filled the room as his minds running miles to what would happen next. He didn’t dare to look at Tooru, to face the hatred and disgust again.

It was always amazement and fear of such an existence of the man, but somehow it turned into something beyond; to the nights of tenderness and warmth, of warping their selves in countless dreams and losing in games of words.

Tobio had fallen in love with Tooru and it hurt him that the Sultan didn’t feel the same.

“You—Do you think I’m stupid?” He looked up from two hands squeezing his cheeks in annoyance.

Tooru gaped at him in disbelief as if he just swallowed himself whole before a sigh escaped from the other’s lips.

“We’ve been married for years. Do you think I’m stupid to not understand? Tobio, I adore you so much. I love you. I would give up everything to have you,” Tooru hugged him tight and _so, so warm_.

“I also adore you, Tooru.” Tobio returned the touch with all he had and what’s the other’s willing to give and when they separated, losing on brown and blue pair of eyes, Tobio didn’t budge but to accept Tooru’s affection as the night falls for another day.

When he woke up for the next and years to come, the sun already sets and Tooru was next to him.

* * *

_These, our bodies, possessed by light._

_Tell me we'll never get used to it._

**Author's Note:**

> This work is inspired by Richard Siken's poem, _Scheherazade_ and _One Thousand and One Nights_ book. Here's my favorite [analysis](http://noa-betweenthelines.blogspot.com/2017/02/scheherazade-by-richard-siken.html?m=1) for the poem.
> 
> I also have a 4 pages draft for historical and omegaverse au Oikage but the plot is too long so I decided to make this.
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading and happy oikage day!


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